A sheriff’s deputy in Virginia has been reassigned after photos surfaced of her in a blackface Halloween costume depicting Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, authorities said.

York-Poquoson Sheriff J.D. Diggs said Wednesday that the veteran deputy of 20 years, Jean Browning, will no longer serve as a school Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program officer following the incident, but stopped short of terminating her, citing nine letters of commendation and her “kind and caring” reputation.

“She did not mock her or make any attempt to degrade her,” Diggs said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Deputy Browning’s intent was simply to portray Wilson as a political celebrity as Browning’s boyfriend was in a costume portraying Donald Trump. The combined intent of the couple was to convey the message of how funny it would be for two political figures that were at odds with each other to go to a party together.”

Browning, who will return to courtroom duty, did not intend to mock or degrade Wilson or Trump, or “for that matter to even make any kind of political statement,” Diggs said.

Diggs, meanwhile, said he met with officials from the York-James City-Williamsburg NAACP branch on Nov. 6 to discuss the blackface incident. Diggs said he was surprised to see a statement from the group released on Wednesday since he anticipated another upcoming meeting with the group.

“I am disappointed that another meeting was not scheduled to allow us to meet again in an effort to resolve this issue,” Diggs said. “I take situations like this seriously as they can impact the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the community.”

Based on the “totality of the circumstances,” as well as Browning’s history with the department, Diggs determined “it would be in the best interest for all concerned” to reassign Browning.

But NAACP officials, who did not return a call requesting additional comment Thursday, said everyone in attendance during the Nov. 6 meeting agreed that Browning’s costume was “wholly inappropriate and completely unacceptable,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday prior to Diggs’ press conference.

“Although it was acknowledged that our concerns were legitimate, it was clear that there would be no disciplinary action taken against Deputy Browning by the sheriff’s department,” the statement obtained by WYDaily.com read. “It was commented to [the chapter’s president] that had Deputy Browning been wearing a ‘noose’ or a derogatory sign, disciplinary action would be appropriate. However, it is the Branch’s position that blackface in and of itself should be enough to warrant disciplinary action.”